


Push + Pull

by Golden_Halla



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fallout, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Client Arthur Maxson, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Lawyer Sole Survivor, Minor Character Death, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:02:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7147676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Halla/pseuds/Golden_Halla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Warren is a young lawyer who, thanks to a slump in her case load, jumps at the opportunity for a potential new client. Much to her chagrin, this client turns out to be the smug new head of the Maxson Enterprises' Boston division. </p><p>Managing to narrowly resist the strong pull towards the handsome but infuriating man, Rose hopes that their encounter is a one-time thing. But fate has different ideas and she finds herself caught in the middle of a vicious power struggle between a mysterious organization operating out of the CIT and the Maxson's company. </p><p>Yet, despite the danger looming over her, Rose can't help but wonder if a taste of temptation would really be such a bad thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! Life has been so crazy I haven't been able to write in forever, but I simply could not resist taking a swing at the Lawyer AU. Thanks to dyr0z for this prompt. 
> 
> A quick note: I changed Arthur's age slightly because of the legal drinking age in the US.

_1:49 AM._

An audible groan emanated from Rose after glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Sleeplessness was not a new thing for her, but tonight it seemed particularly irritating. 

Normally she could work through her restless nights, keeping her mind focused on something other than herself and every flaw and failing she had ever managed to accomplish in her life. It was a part of her job that she secretly loved now; being able to take it home with her. Her associate, Preston, often warned her about working herself too hard, pleaded with her not to strain herself constantly and end up burning out. Rose knew he meant well, but little did he know that if she had to come home and be idle each night, she would quickly lose her fucking mind. 

Unfortunately for Rose, however, work had slowed down for the firm considerably in the last few months. Cases were becoming scarce for them and consequently, Rose didn't really have any work to bring home with her lately. They were still maintaining enough of a clientele to pay the bills, for now at least, but the cases were usually minor, trivial disputes. Nothing nearly exciting enough for Rose to bother bringing it home with her to tinker on.

_1:56 AM_

The young woman sighed, turning over on her side. Next to her, her ever-faithful canine companion slept soundly, not even remotely stirred when she reached over and gave him a gentle scratch behind his ear. 

She never used to let the dog sleep on the bed with her. Of course, that was mostly because the other side of the bed was occupied by her asshat of an ex-fiancé. But since he was no longer in the picture, it felt nice to have someone next to her at night. Even if that someone was a furry 75 lb German Shepherd who had a habit of taking up the entire queen-size mattress by morning. Although, Nate had been a notorious bedhog as well.

 _No, stop thinking about him,_ Rose told herself sternly, _otherwise this night will go from bad to worse._

With an internal grumble, Rose screwed her eyes shut and began concentrating on taking slow, deep breaths, willing herself to drift asleep. Forcing her mind to clear sometimes worked. If all else failed, she kept a stash of sleeping pills in her nightstand that were her saving grace some nights. Okay, most nights. 

She was just about to give in and delve into said stash when she heard her phone vibrate beside her. Not particularly used to receiving calls in the middle of the night, even in her line of work, she reluctantly checked the screen. 

_Nick Valentine_

Immediately she answered the call. "Valentine, you know I'm not the booty call kind of girl, right?" 

"Aw, come on Rose," he answered, mimicking her playful tone, "You could've let me down gently."

"I don't do gentle very well, Nick. Especially not at 2 in the morning," Rose replied smugly and sat up, hopeful to the real reason he would be calling her at this hour.

He must have read her mind, because his next words were exactly what she wanted to hear, "That's precisely why I called you. I know it's the middle of the night, but I have a small job for you if you're interested."

Rose smiled and hopped out of bed, "That is music to my ears. I'll be at the station in an hour."

~~~~~

Rose smoothed out her blouse as she walked into the police station out of nervous habit. She was relieved to have something to preoccupy her evening instead of tossing and turning in bed, but as a relatively new lawyer, she still got some jitters when meeting new clients. 

Valentine wouldn't say too much on the phone about the case, just that the client was high profile and they needed to be as discreet as possible. Discretion was always part of the job description but when they were dealing with upper class society, the less information that got out, the better. 

The woman at the front desk kindly pointed Rose in the direction of Valentine, and when she met the detective in the hall he greeted her with a friendly smile and a nice, hot cup of coffee.

"You are amazing," Rose mumbled as she greedily took a sip of her favorite non-alcoholic beverage. 

"Don't mention it, kid. Thanks again for taking the case at this hour. Though I have a sneaking suspicion you were awake when you answered the phone. Still having troubles sleeping?"

The lawyer grimaced slightly even though she knew he asked out of genuine concern, "Don't worry about it."

"If you say so," he sighed in defeat, knowing better than to get into this argument with her. Again. 

They walked down the corridor towards the interrogation rooms, stopping in front of the one-way mirror that looked into the room which presumably held her client. Nick dug out a manila folder and a small set of keys from the inside pocket of his trench coat and handed them to her.

"You're familiar with Maxson Enterprises? Huge multi-billion dollar conglomerate that just opened a branch here in Boston?" Rose nodded as she listened and began flipping through the case file. "The head of the Boston division is the CEO's only son, Arthur Maxson. He was arrested at some bar downtown tonight for assault. He's claiming he had a valid reason, but regardless, it won't be good for business once this gets out to the press."

"Surely their company has lawyers on retainer that could deal with this?" Rose questioned. Of course, she appreciated the work but it seemed odd that they wouldn't be using one of their own attorneys.

The detective shrugged, "He said something about not wanting to get them involved but he didn't mention why."

They both looked into the room at the man cuffed to the table. Rose couldn't see much of the man in question through the glass, seeing as his back was towards them. He sat straight though, with his shoulders squared as much as they could be since his wrists were handcuffed in front of him. 

She glanced back down at the folder quickly and almost rolled her eyes when she saw his age. He was only 21.

"Let me guess," she started, her voice laced with an unamused sarcasm, "Trust-fund brat who only landed that job because of his last name and parties his money away. But he doesn't want daddy dearest to find out about his _escapades,_ so he wants an outside lawyer to throw money at to make his problems disappear."

Valentine let out a low chuckle, "I think you're right about the last part at least."

This time Rose actually does roll her eyes, "Come on Nick, we've both seen guys like this a thousand times. Given the situation, he certainly seems the type."

"That may be true, but a paying client is a paying client."

The attorney frowned, "Sometimes I hate it when you're right. Judge me all you want, but what I wouldn't give for a juicy murder case."

Nick let out a full laugh this time, "Careful what you wish for, Rose."

Rose threw him a cheeky smile as she walked towards the door that led into the interrogation room, "Hey, I'm a lawyer. What do you expect?"

She opened the door and made her way to the table opposite of her client, morphing her expression into something professional, as she pulled out the chair to sit down.

"Good evening, Mr. Maxson. I'm your attorney, Rose Warren," she introduced as she sat. It was only then that she looked up at the man's face for the first time. She struggled to keep her face neutral when he immediately locked eyes with her. 

To some extent, Rose expected any young billionaire playboy to be attractive. But Arthur Maxson far surpassed any expectation she had. A strong, masculine jawline beneath a short, well-trimmed beard. Dark hair that was cropped short on the sides with a longer, slicked back top. His muscles bulged underneath a crisp, white shirt even in a relatively relaxed position. A not-too-big Roman nose nestled in between well-defined cheekbones. Even the noticeably deep scar across his right cheek somehow made him more dashing.

What really got her though, were his piercing eyes that bore into hers unrelentingly. Rose didn't think she had ever seen eyes that were so _blue._ They weren't harsh by any means and his facial expression was otherwise blank, but his eyes didn't waver from her hazel ones. Not once.

He was definitely a sight for sore eyes and it took everything in Rose not openly gawk. Instead, she swallowed thickly. If he noticed, he didn't show it. 

"I would shake your hand Ms. Warren but, as you can see, they're a little tied up at the moment," Maxson replied with a smile even though his words had a brusque undertone.

The attitude was enough to snap Rose out of her daze and, after mildly exaggerated sigh, she unlocked his handcuffs with the keys Valentine had given her. As soon as he was free, he retracted his arms closer to his body but didn't rub his reddened wrists. 

"So can you tell me what happened?" 

"Did the detective not fill you in?" He challenged smugly, a smirk now resting proudly on his face. 

Rose resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. She had been in this man's presence for less than 5 minutes and he was already getting under skin.

 _In more ways than one..._ She thought to herself bitterly and sucked in a deep breath when she caught his biceps flex out of the corner of her eyes. _No. Stop. He's your client, and he seems like an ass. Keep it professional, Rose._

"Mr. Maxson, with all due respect, you are the one who asked for a lawyer who was not on your company's legal team when it is now," she glanced quickly at her watch, "3:17 in the morning. Perhaps they are more accustomed to dealing with any felonies or bad publicity that your nightly activities may induce, drunken or otherwise. But seeing as, by your request, they are not here and I am, you would be doing both of us a favor by cutting the bullshit and giving me the information I need to do my job so we can both get out of here and go home."

Rose took a steadying inhale after her small rant. Maybe her approach was more aggressive than professional but she was in no mood for his games and her instant reaction to his appearance made her feel almost completely off-centred and disarmed, something she was not happy about. She hoped the message actually got through to him.

To her dismay, his smirk grew into a full shit-eating grin. "Well for the record, I wasn't drunk. But alright, Ms. Warren. We'll do this your way. What exactly do you want to know?"

Raising her eyebrow slightly, Rose eyed him warily for a moment unsure why he relented that easily when he seemed so sure of himself. "The witness statements and the statement from the man you allegedly assaulted both say that you threw the first punch." He nodded. "Why did you hit him?"

"He deserved it."

Rose suppressed a groan, "I'm sure that you think you have a good reason but if I'm going to get your charges dropped tonight, I'm going to need more to go on than that."

The man let out an impatient huff, "He approached a woman at the bar a few seats down from me and when she turned him down, he didn't want to take no for an answer. He started getting really aggressive with her and when she tried to leave he grabbed her by the arm. I stepped in and told him to back off but he wouldn't let her go. That's when I hit him."

Rose blinked. She wasn't expecting him to _actually_ have a good reason. If what he was saying was true, anyways. She looked through the file and skimmed the witness statements again. There was nothing pointing to a female victim, but it was possible she had left the scene once the man harassing her became distracted by a fist in his face.

"Do you remember what this woman looked like or know anything about her? If we could track her down and get a statement from her, it would corroborate your side of the story."

"She's a regular there, I think, but I don't know her. She was small, had red hair."

Rose drummed her fingers against the table in thought. "Is there anyone else who saw her being harassed?"

"The bartender," Maxson replied matter-of-factly, "He was telling the man to leave but he didn't leave the bar."

The attorney nodded in understanding. "Is there anything else I should know?"

The young man in front of her leaned in towards her as if he were about to tell her a secret, causing Rose to lean forward as well and trying to remain calm when the faint scent of his cologne reached her nose. 

"I told you he deserved it," he whispered, one side of his lips curving upward and his eyes sparkling with amusement when Rose grumbled a couple choice profanities and stood up.

"I'm going to go see if I can get official statements supporting your claim. I'll be back," she announced as she left the room almost wishing she hadn't taken this job after all. Almost.

~~~~~

As luck would have it, Rose was able to return to her client in less than an hour. It relieved her to know that, not only would she be able to wash her hands of the infuriating man, but she would soon be able to go home and back to bed as fatigue was finally starting to set in.

"Good news, Mr. Maxson," she said with a triumphant but tired smile as she sat across from him once again, "We were able to get in touch with the bartender who gave us a full statement, as well as the identity of that girl. It took a few tries to get ahold of her, but she confirmed your story. That said, not only have the charges against you been dropped, but they are bringing that man into custody for sexual harassment as we speak. I spoke to a friend of mine with the press and she will make sure it looks like you're a hero, not a criminal."

Maxson gave her a once over then returned her smile with a coy one of his own, "I have to say I'm impressed, Ms. Warren. It is Miss, isn't it? Or should I be calling you Missus?"

Rose's eyes widened slightly at his not-so-subtle pass at her and could feel her heart rate speed up and her body temperature rise. "You had it right the first time," she informed, cursing inwardly at how strained her voice sounded.

"Perfect," the smirk was back on his face and his eyes roamed her body once more. "I take it that means I'm free to go?"

"Yes," Rose answered, perhaps a little too quickly, and then cleared her throat. "There is some minor paperwork you have to fill out before you're released but then you are free to go."

Maxson stood up and stretched, causing his muscles to visibly ripple under his shirt. Rose's breath got caught her throat and she had to quickly look away from the sight before she said or did something embarrassing. She cast her eyes downward only to notice for the first time the extremely tight suit pants he was wearing and Rose felt like she had been sucker-punched by how fast the heat pooled in her stomach.

"Well Ms. Warren," he said, drawing out the 'Ms,' and breaking Rose from her increasingly unprofessional thoughts, "Thank you for your assistance. You can send the bill to my office. Maybe we will meet again one day."

Rose was still too distracted to register the cryptic tone behind his last sentence before he walked out the door, though not before shooting her one last look. Once the door was closed, Rose released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and took a minute to get herself together before exiting as well. 

She did everything she could to make sure she didn't run into Maxson again as she left the station. After how he seemed to affect her, she really didn't want to face him now. But although Rose would never admit it to herself or anyone else, she really hoped she would get the chance to see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of weeks had passed since Rose had bailed Mr. Maxson out of jail. The night she got his charges dropped, the lawyer was relieved to have washed her hands of him. It baffled her how easily and intensely he affected her in such a short amount of time. It was very unlike her to become so obviously distracted by a pretty face. So when she left the station that night, she was looking forward to be able to forget about their encounter.

Except she hadn't forgotten.

As soon as she let her mind wander, she would become bombarded with memories of him. The soft but masculine scent of his cologne. How his body filled out his shirt to the point that it was borderline too small. His large hands resting casually on the table. How his lips seemed to always be pulled into a mischievous smirk. More than once she had caught herself absentmindedly wondering what those hands and lips would feel like on her skin, how his muscular body would all but consume hers on top of her thin frame. 

It almost made her hope that maybe there was more to him than being a handsome, stereotypical rich kid. Something that would justify being so mesmerized by him after only meeting him once. 

_Or maybe it's just been way too long since I've been laid,_ Rose thought to herself as she at in a semi-crowded restaurant waiting for an old friend to meet her for lunch, trying to stave off the arousal caused by her imagination that seemed to be running increasingly rampant. She straightened her posture in her seat, mentally resolving that it had to be the most likely reason she couldn't control her inappropriate thoughts. There's no way she could possibly be that drawn in by a man 4 years her junior after only knowing him for a few hours.

Luckily, Rose didn't have to be in denial much longer because she spied a familiar brunette making her way across the restaurant towards the table.

"Good to see you, Blue. It's been too long since we've had a chance to catch up." Rose stood up at the greeting to give her friend a tight hug. Rose was still amazed that after all the time she had known Piper, she still insisted on using the nickname she was given the day they met. Rose had been wearing a bright blue dress that day and apparently it made enough of an impression for her to be called 'Blue' for years to come.

"Indeed it has," Rose responded with a genuinely happy tilt to her voice. For far too long, she had been solely in the company of either colleagues, clients, or her dog. It was nice to be able to sit down with a non-work related friend for change.

The two women didn't waste any time in filling each other in on their lives. They spent the better part of an hour talking about how they were doing, bitching about work, and having a few laughs together. It was a welcome distraction for Rose, and she was glad she could focus on something that wasn't work, her past, or _him._

That was, until Piper brought _him_ up.

"So Arthur Maxson saving that girl was something, hey? I had no idea you represented him." She commented so suddenly and casually that Rose almost choked on her food.

"It was a one-time thing, I don't actually work for him," she said, hopefully acting convincingly calm, "He needed a lawyer at 2 AM, and Valentine called me. Haven't seen or heard from him since."

Piper seemed to mull the words over for a second. "Huh. That's a shame, he's pretty hot for a suit."

_Act natural, Rose._ "I guess so," she answered, attempting to sound as noncommittal as possible.

"Oh, come on Blue! Nate's been out of the picture for over a year now. You're allowed to let yourself ogle other men. Or better yet, enjoy their company, if you know what I mean. Stop beating yourself up over that jerk."

Rose snorted at that but instead of getting upset at basically being told to get over it, she just added an eye roll with a hint of a smile. Piper meant well and always told it like it was. Rose appreciated that in a friend. So if anyone could get away with saying that, it was her. 

The reporter at least had the grace to take Rose's silence as a signal to drop the subject. "Well. I'm sure it was good money at least, even if you didn't enjoy the view."

It was good money, actually. When Rose sent the bill to Maxson's office, she wasn't expecting to receive, not only a near-immediate payment, but he actually sent more than what she had invoiced him for. 'For a job well done,' was all the email had said on the matter and so Rose left it at that. While she was still a bit wary of a potential ulterior motive, she wasn't about to turn down some extra cash in her pocket.

"True enough. Thanks again for helping me out with the press on that. It could've went south quickly if the news had decided to put a bad spin on it," the lawyer expressed with genuine appreciation while gently changing the course of the topic, "Even though I called you in the middle of the night."

"It's part of the job description," Piper replied, shrugging it off. "Besides, with all the crazy rumours flying around about Maxson Enterprises lately, getting handed concrete stories about one of their big-wigs is like news media gold right now."

Rose's curiosity piqued at that, "What kind of rumours?"

"You really haven't heard?" The reporter asked, surprised. Rose shook her head. She wasn't one for paying much attention to the news, especially when it came to business news. "Apparently, there is a huge rivalry between Maxson Enterprises and the Commonwealth Institute of Technology that goes back decades. Now that there is a new branch of Maxson Enterprises in Boston, the feud is really starting to get nasty."

Rose frowned skeptically, "How bad could it be? Businesses, especially big ones, get in disputes all the time. That's what corporate lawyers are for."

"No, this is different," Piper responded, shaking her head, "I've seen some pretty shady things go down in the white collar world, but I have a feeling this is going to blow up big time."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, both their tones hushing, knowing they were talking about sensitive material in a public setting. The attorney was trying to justify her interest in the matter as purely academic curiosity. After all, her livelihood depended on getting all of the facts possible on either side. It surely had nothing to do with the drop dead gorgeous man heading one of parties. No. Definitely not.

Piper leaned in a little, her voice barely above a whisper, "I have sources that say that the Research and Development division of CIT has been doing some very secretive, off-the-books experiments. No one knows what kind of tests they're running, though, or what's resulting from them. The CIT isn't federally operated and they're privately funded. So really, they could do and hide whatever they wanted. I'm not sure what the Maxson's know about them, but there's whispers of the CIT's R&D director sabotaging Maxson Enterprises. My guess is that they probably feel threatened by them for some reason. But no one has solid evidence on anything. That's why it hasn't been publicized."

Rose blinked at the information her reporter friend just confided in her, trying to process it all. If there was any truth to it, she should feel alleviated at having no real ties to Maxson Enterprises if their situation was that messy. Yet, all she really felt was a pang of concern for a man she barely knew and the dangerous spot he might be in.

During the rest of their lunch date, the conversation moved to different topics, in which time, Rose did everything she could to quell the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

~~~~~

The next morning, Rose found herself awkwardly bent over a drawer of her tall office filing cabinet searching for some missing notes on a deposition. In a pencil skirt, to boot. 

It was moments of frustration like this that made her curse herself for not hiring an assistant to do her filing and keep her over-abundance of documents properly organized. She remembered very clearly turning down Preston's offer to hire one for her. At the time, she was convinced she didn't need one; Garvey & Warren was still too new to the game to warrant her hiring an extra hand. That reasoning didn't hinder Preston at all, since he hired Sturges as soon as he had the capital to do so. Rose was starting to think that maybe her partner had been right all along.

She nearly jumped when she heard a sudden knock on the door behind her. Rose knew it was a bit early for her next appointment so she assumed it was Preston, since he often sought her out when he had a lead on a potential new client.

"Hey Preston, have you seen my notes on that- Oh," she stopped mid-sentence, when she had finally lifted her head towards the door and saw that the man standing there was most certainly not Preston Garvey. "You're not Preston."

The cocky smirk that had been haunting her dreams appeared along with the man who had all but weaponized it, "Not the last time I checked."

Rose swiftly stood up straight, but not before noticing him steal a quick glance at her backside before she turned to face him, her back now strategically aimed towards the cabinet. "What an unexpected surprise, Mr. Maxson," she stated as coolly as she could manage, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm here because I need you, Ms. Warren," he replied before stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

She felt heat immediately rush to her core at the combination of his words and the action of closing her door, giving them their own private space. Her mind screamed at her telling her that steamy office sex was not what he meant, and even if it was, she shouldn't want to be bent over the desk while he fucked her senseless. He was an egotistical ass and she was done getting involved with those. Still, she had to cross one leg over the other where she stood, clenching her thighs together in hopes to stifle her sudden arousal. 

Taking a deep breath, she willed her body to calm down and let logic win out before responding so she didn't end up humiliating herself. "I'm sorry, Mr. Maxson, but-"

He held a hand up as a short warning before he interrupted, "Please, just call me Arthur."

"Alright, _Arthur,_ " she corrected as politely as she could, "If you needed something, I'm afraid it will have to wait. I have a consultation starting shortly. If you talk to Curie at the front desk, she can schedule you an appointment."

Arthur's smirk tore into a devilish grin, "Well then, luckily for me _I am_ your consultation scheduled for right now." 

Rose's mouth momentarily dropped in shock before pulling it back into a frown. She glanced over to the open appointment book laying on her to desk to the left of where she stood.

_11:00 AM: Consultation for legal advice. Client refused to give name over the phone._

_Sneaky bastard,_ Rose thought to herself bitterly.

"Your company already has a legal team, and unless you've got yourself into another fight, I'm not really sure what you need me for," she told him truthfully. With the exception of the ridiculous, impossible fantasies in her head, she really had no idea why he would be here.

"Come work for me."

It was a simple enough statement but it was enough to completely take Rose aback. "I beg your pardon?" She asked, stunned.

He smiled and took a step towards her before softening his voice, "Please come work for me, Rose."

When he had come closer to her and dropped his voice, something in Rose's brain temporarily short-circuited. She could smell his cologne again. It was different than the one he wore last time, but it was still sharp and masculine. The same way his suit was different than last time, this one was grey with a light blue shirt that perfectly matched his eyes and _fuck,_ why did he wear his clothes so fucking _tight._

"You alright there, Rosie?" He questioned with a knowing smirk. 

It was enough to bring Rose back down to earth. "Why me?" She asked, mind still clearing from her trance, ignoring the pet name he had not earned the right to use.

"You handled my case quickly and efficiently. I wasn't lying when I said I was impressed."

Rose eyed him critically, "I was just doing what I was being paid to do. Like I said, you already have plenty of legal representation and they are all trained to do the same exact thing."

"They are corporate lawyers. They are employed by Maxson Enterprises, my father is the one who signs their paychecks. And they get paid to push papers and make sure the company stays out of legal trouble. I want _you_ to work for _me_ ," he retorted, emphasizing the last sentence slowly so Rose would catch on to what he was really asking.

"Why? Planning on saving more damsels in distress?" She dead-panned, quirking an eyebrow.

He snorted lightly at that but didn't answer right away. Rose watched as his expression changed into one of contemplation, seeming to be choosing his next words carefully. His eyes weren't trained on her anymore, but instead were staring thoughtfully towards her desk, his trademark smirk for once absent. She found herself fascinated by catching a small glimpse of Arthur Maxson momentarily without the over-confident demeanour. 

But in an instant, it was over because Arthur took another step in her direction and looked at her with a glint of something Rose didn't want to decipher in his blue eyes. 

"No, but," he started, his voice dropping low and sending shiver down Rose's spine, "I have a feeling I may need assistance with delicate legal matters in the near future and I'll need a capable, outside source. I want someone who isn't under my father's thumb."

Rose's eyes narrowed briefly at the cryptic response. But then she remembered what Piper had told her the day before about the alleged drama Maxson Enterprises was dealing with, how they're possibly being sabotaged. Maybe Arthur was worried that some people in his company were not to be trusted. 

"If that's the case, why should I get involved?" It was a legitimate question. If what Piper had said was true, going to bat for Arthur could pose a serious risk to her. That wasn't something lawyers typically shied away from; it came with the territory. But she wasn't so desperate for work that she was going to blindly throw herself in harm's way. Especially since that would also entail probably working closely with a man who so easily affected her. 

Arthur took another step towards her. 

"I can assure you that you'll be well compensated for all of your work. But I don't think money is a motivating factor for you." 

The alarm potentially raised by his correct assertion was widely overshadowed by him moving even closer to her, effectively trapping her between him and her filing cabinet.

"I'm not a man who is impressed easily, but when I decide I want something, I don't stop until I get it," the husky tone his voice took was enough for Rose to think he perhaps wasn't talking about her legal representation anymore. But then he closed practically all of the distance between them so that their torsos were close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body and all her doubts of what he was actually talking about vanished. He towered over her, despite her wearing heels, and stared down at her, eyes darkened and predatory. But she refused to cower from him and held his gaze firmly, even though her chest was heaving from anticipation. "Deep down, Rosie, I think you want it just as bad."

Any protests Rose had about his accusation died promptly when she felt his lips suddenly on hers and one large hand reaching up to tangle itself in her soft hair, cradling the back of her head. The action stunned for a few seconds but it didn't take long for her to begin tentatively kissing him back, still unsure if she should be doing this. But then he dragged his tongue across her bottom lip in one languid movement and all coherent thought fled from her as she opened her mouth and let him explore. 

Her hands lifted from her side to wander up his arms and over his chest. She let out a small, involuntary sigh at the feel of hard muscles under her touch and didn't even care when she felt Arthur smirk triumphantly against her lips. 

His gloating didn't seem to last long, though, because the next thing Rose knew, he had her pushed up against the filing cabinet, snaking his hand down the length of her body and using it to lift one of her legs around his hip. She gasped, the motion causing her skirt to ride up almost to her waist. But she found she didn't mind. Not when Arthur dug his fingers greedily into her exposed thighs gradually sliding backwards and finding purchase on a generous handful of her ass, pulling her flush against him. She used that leg to anchor herself closer to him as his mouth trailed down her jawline and to her neck kissing, sucking, and nibbling everything in his path. 

Their current position gave Rose enough leverage to have her apex pressed firmly against him and couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her when she could feel how hard he was for her. Out of instinct she rolled her hips up, grinding herself against Arthur's length, eliciting groan from him that could only be described as primal.

Redirecting the devout attention he was giving her neck, Arthur captured her lips again with such urgency that it left Rose lightheaded, clinging to any part of him she could in case the leg she had still planted on the ground failed her. At the same time, he unwound his hand from her hair and dragged it lower until it skimmed over her breast, toying with the soft mound briefly through her clothes before he began using that hand to hastily undo the buttons of her blouse. 

Rose's mind was drowning with her need for this man. Every kiss, every touch, every sound was so much better than she ever imagined it would be. All she wanted in that moment was more of him. All of him. She didn't care that they were in her office, or how she would most likely have bruises along her neck from where his lips had been, or how highly unethical this all was. As soon as his palm was kneading the silky skin of her cleavage, every fear or worry she had in the world was gone.

That was, of course, until there was a sharp knock at the door.

Both their eyes shot open and Rose yelled an exasperated 'just a minute,' to who ever knocked before she hurriedly pushed herself away from Arthur. At least, as much as she could since she was pinned between her cabinet and the solid bulk of Arthur's body. It was still enough to manage to slide out from under him and step away, her hands covering her face in an attempt to calm herself down. 

After a few very deep breaths, she quickly smoothed out her hair and clothes before walking over to the door. She opened it just enough that she could see who was the cause of the interference but angling it so that they couldn't see the man in her office. Or more specifically, so they couldn't piece together what they had interrupted.

She was met with the sight of their receptionist, Curie. "Ms. Warren, I'm just letting you know that your 11:00 o'clock appointment is here," she announced cheerfully with her French accent, seemingly oblivious to what had just occurred behind the closed door. 

Rose smiled despite catching on to the obvious discrepancy, "Thank you, Curie. I will be with them shortly." She calmly closed the door again and turned to face the man who clearly was _not_ her consultation appointment after all. 

For his part, Arthur didn't look the slightest bit guilty about his little white lie. In fact, quite the opposite. His smirk had returned as he walked casually towards Rose. His face was still the tiniest bit flushed and his eyes were stormy with lingering arousal. But other than that, he had either recovered enough so that there were no other physical indications of their brief tryst, or he had adjusted himself accordingly.

Whatever the case, shame and regret instantly seeped into Rose's bones, realizing she had given Arthur exactly what he wanted. She bought right into his _persuasion tactics_ so readily just because she couldn't control her lust. She was pissed, but mostly at herself. She knew better than this.

"You lied," she pointed out curtly.

Arthur shrugged. "Can you blame me?" He challenged smugly, raking his eyes over her still slightly disheveled appearance.

This only hardened Rose's resolve. She ignored his comment and placed her hand on the door knob, moving so that she would be able to shoo him out of her office. But she didn't open it just yet. 

"I will only say this once, so listen well. I have no interest in working for you, Mr. Maxson. Please don't contact me again." With that, she swung her door open and motioned for him to leave.

His smirk faltered slightly, but other than that, his expression seemed unaffected until he stopped in the doorway for a second and his eyes met hers one last time. If Rose didn't know any better, she would say that his icy blues almost looked remorseful. Logic told her he probably had too much pride to feel that. 

"Very well. Goodbye, Rose," he bid her softly before brushing past her and exiting her office, not looking back once before he was out of the building. 

She felt a twinge of something with the tender way he said that. Whether it was frustration or something else she didn't want to put a name to, she couldn't tell. All she knew was, despite what or who her body desired, she couldn't allow that to happen again.

~~~~~

Rose awoke with a start that night. The loud ring of her phone seemed deafening as she came out of her slumber, the first time in ages it felt like she was sleeping soundly. 

She debated ignoring whoever was calling her, irritated by the untimely wake up call. But then she caught Dogmeat looking at her pointedly from the corner of her eye. Apparently he too, was not happy about the disturbance and if he could talk, Rose was sure the dog would scold her for not stopping that infernal racket.

Sighing, she reached over and grabbed the phone from her nightstand without even bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?" 

"Hey, kid." Rose instantly recognized Nick's voice and her anger softened a bit. "Look, I hate to do this to you, but I need you to come down to the station."

She frowned in confusion. Normally, the detective didn't sound so guilty if he had work for her. "What's wrong?"

"You're not going to like this but," he paused, seeming to brace himself, "Arthur Maxson has been arrested again. He refuses to talk to anyone except you."

Rose fought the sudden urge to scream and throw her phone across the room. "If he needs someone to break him free because he got into another bar fight or something equally ridiculous, you can tell him to go fuck himself."

"If he was brought in because of something like that again, believe me I would. But it's not that simple this time," He replied with a sigh. "Rose, he's being charged with murder."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy balls, this ended up being a beast of a chapter. Apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I didn't edit much because I just wanted to get this published. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Whatever irritation Rose had felt when she initially received the call about Arthur's arrest had festered considerably by the time she marched into the station that night. Her knuckles were pale from her tight fists. Jaw sore from being clenched. Each time she thought about the events surrounding her and that man in the last 24 hours, her rage built.

It certainly didn't help that, as she was getting dressed, she spotted a noticeable, deep red blemish on her neck close to her clavicle. She grimaced just at the thought of it. It was hardly scarf weather outside, so she had done what she could with her makeup and tried to keep her collar from exposing the mark as best she could. The last thing she needed now was for a certain someone to see it.

Rose strode quickly into the station and towards the interrogation rooms where she knew Nick would be. The sooner she could find out why Arthur insisted on her presence and then convince him to work with the police and any attorney beside her, the better.

Of course, she wasn't technically obligated to come down here at all. Rose wasn't formally Maxson's lawyer and, although it would have been more of an inconvenience for the detectives, she could have politely refused to come.

But her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Rose didn't know Arthur well. Hell, she didn't really know him at all. But she did know that he had prevented a woman from being sexually harassed the night they had met. She knew that, while he was arrogant and forward with her, he had never made her feel uncomfortable or unsafe. She knew that he had probably had enough solid muscle in his body to hurt someone badly, but he always seemed in control of himself. She knew that as much as he provoked her, he backed off when she had asked him to.

So while Rose barely knew the man sitting handcuffed in an interrogation room again, she honestly couldn't picture him murdering someone in cold blood. Despite her emotional response to being asked to help him when she had explicitly told him she didn't want to see him again, Rose needed to find out if the man who had reduced her to a whimpering mess in her office earlier that day was actually capable of this.

She didn't want to believe that he was. Hence why she agreed to drag herself down here and hear what Arthur had to say for himself.

Valentine was waiting for her, peering into the one-way mirror. He motioned to a steaming mug on a small table beside him and Rose wasted no time picking it up to sip at the coffee, thanking the detective in the process.

"Do you know for sure if it was him?" Rose asked, too tired for their normal banter. She had a feeling Nick was too.

That was confirmed when he sighed, rubbing a palm over his face. "No, not for sure."

"Why did you take him into custody then?"

Nick handed her the case file, "He was found at the murder scene when we arrived."

Rose began flipping through the documents and pictures that had already been compiled for the case. The victim was a middle-aged woman by the name of Madison Li. She was a scientist specializing in biological engineering who had been working at the CIT. The police had gotten an anonymous call and were dispatched to her apartment only to find her dead on arrival, shot twice in the chest, and Arthur crouched over her corpse.

Rose put a hand over her mouth and tried to force the sick feeling in her stomach to disappear. She had seen a number of murder cases in her career and she wasn't the squeamish sort either. But she had never come across one where the only suspect so far was someone she knew, let alone someone that she had almost fucked earlier that day.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "What else can you tell me?"

Typically detectives and lawyers, particularly defence lawyers, were on opposite teams. They rarely cooperated, and they certainly didn't share information that could weaken the prosecution.

But Rose and Nick had a special relationship. Valentine and Rose's father had been partners while he was still alive. She had known Nick almost her whole life and they had become close when her father was killed in action when she was 12. Nick had never tried to replace her father. But they were good friends and they knew they could count on one another. They'd both be lying if they said it wasn't handy having a trustworthy contact on the other side of the fence. Which was why the detective could divulge more information to her than he would anyone else who wasn't on the police force. 

"The only thing linking Dr. Li and Arthur Maxson was that Li used to work for Maxson Enterprises years ago back in D.C. We're still waiting on ballistics for the final results, but we believe the gun used to kill Li was found at the crime scene. Arthur's prints weren't on it, but he could have wiped them."

"He hasn't said anything at all?"

Nick shook his head, "Not a thing. He hasn't so much as moved since we brought him in."

Rose glanced at the young man in interrogation. His back was toward the window again. He was wearing just a plain, white t-shirt. The blue shirt he had been wearing, the one that matched his eyes, had apparently been taken as evidence because of the blood on it, or so she had read in the report. She wished she could see his face to gauge what he was feeling right now. Guilt? Anger? Remorse? Or he was innocent and he just wanted to get out of here. Rose wanted it to be the latter.

"Do you think he actually did it?" She asked, voice small.

Nick exhaled, pausing to contemplate his answer, "It's hard to say. So far, the evidence we have points to him but my gut tells me there is way more to this than what we know right now."

The attorney nodded in understanding. She thought back to the rumours Piper had told her about and wondered if it was coincidence that Dr. Li's most recent employer was the CIT. Rose didn't want to say anything to Nick about it, she had nothing concrete to go on as far as that was concerned. But Valentine admitting he thought this situation was more complex than it seemed, only solidified Rose's suspicions.

She supposed there was only one way to really find out.

It took a second to brace herself before she made to enter the room, Nick mumbling a 'good luck' to her before she turned the door knob.

As she quietly stepped towards the chair on the opposite side of the room, she reminded herself to stay neutral. When she had got the call to head to the precinct, she planned to come in here guns blazing so to speak. But her anger had already cooled substantially since entering the station. Knowing more of the situation, her gut told her that somehow Arthur wasn't at fault and that made her want to be empathetic, regardless of how much of an ass he had been previously. Of course, she could just be trying to convince herself of that to ease her own mind.

As a lawyer, she needed to stay objective though. Even if she wasn't actually representing him or technically on the case at all, she couldn't allow any sort of bias to cloud her judgement while she listened to whatever it was Arthur had to say. Fortifying herself to do just that, she sat down across from the man.

But when she looked at him for the first time that night, all of her resolve seemed to crumble. This time, it wasn't for the same reason his appearance usually threw her off. It wasn't because of how attractive he was or because she had been given a preview of how talented his mouth was. The man she saw before her now was guarded and distant. He wasn't cowering by any means, but he certainly didn't have the confidence that she had always known him to have, even when their eyes met. He didn't seem to have personality in him at all. It was unnerving to say the least.

"You came." He stated simply with only the slightest trace of surprise.

"I know I told you not to contact me, but I'm sure there were less drastic ways to get me to talk to you again," she joked quietly, the corners of her mouth curling upward just a bit, hoping it might draw him out of this uncharacteristically blank state.

Apparently he was in no mood, since he stayed silent.

_I suppose I wouldn't be either if I were suspected of murder,_ Rose reasoned and then cleared her throat nervously. "Well, I was told you would only talk to me, so here I am." She paused briefly, but decided on adding a disclaimer, "I'll listen to whatever you have to say with an open mind, but that doesn't mean I'll take your case."

"I suppose that's fair," he replied evenly but remained quiet after that. For someone who adamantly wanted to speak with her tonight, Arthur wasn't being terribly forthcoming. Rose had to remind herself of the long day he would have had and how much stress he must be under. That thought gave her reason enough to be more patient with him than she normally would.

His posture and expression didn't let on to the fact that he had to have been exhausted. Then Rose noticed the darkening circles around his eyes. She stole a glance at the half-full mug of coffee on the table she had brought into the room with her and slowly nudged it towards the man who clearly needed it more than she did.

"Did you know Dr. Li?"

Arthur nodded, awkwardly attempting to take a sip of the caffeinated beverage while his hands were cuffed.

"Why were you at her apartment?"

He swallowed the coffee, letting out a mildly satisfied sigh. "She asked me to come," he answered, falling silent again.

Rose was starting to grow tired trying to coax information out of him, yet she simply kept meeting his gaze. His blue eyes were sharp and calculating as they met hers. For a few brief moments, it seemed like he was actually sizing her up. Not in the way he had before. This time it was as though he was trying to gauge just how much he would actually tell her, if she could be trusted with his side of the story even after saying she was the only one he would talk to. Rose stood her ground. This was the kind of interaction she was used to with clients.

Apparently it was enough because Arthur began speaking again, "I'd known Madison for a long time. She worked at our headquarters pretty closely with my father. She was always really kind to me, didn't treat me like I was just some dumb kid even though she had a reputation for being a bit of a hardass." The corner of his mouth twitched upward at that, reminiscing in past memories. "She had left the company and moved here some time ago. There was no bad blood when she left, she simply felt like she needed to move on. When we established our office in Boston, I decided to look her up. We eventually met up a few times, just casually at first. I wanted her to come back to Maxson Enterprises. She was brilliant at what she did and we could have really used her here. During our previous conversations she had insinuated that she wasn't happy where she was anymore, that the work she was being asked to do was..." He trailed off, pausing before picking up on a slightly different train of thought. "She called me this evening asking if I could come to her apartment as soon as possible. She sounded scared on the phone. I got there as soon as I could, but it was too late. I tried to check to see if maybe she was still alive, to see if I could save her somehow. That's when the police showed up."

Rose couldn't help how her heart dropped hearing his words. It would have been hard enough finding an old family friend dead in their own home, it had to have been much worse being the one blamed for it. While his voice had stayed relatively even, it was clear to Rose that Arthur had held some affection for this woman.

Her knee-jerk reaction was to reach out to him, to make some attempt to comfort him. She knew that was typically against protocol, but for whatever reason she couldn't help herself this time. They had breached professional decorum once already, and Rose swore up and down she wouldn't let it happen again. But she felt like she should make an exception this time.

Tentatively, she extended her arm across the table and placed a hand gently on top of his, giving it a light squeeze. He flinched slightly at the unexpected contact but then rested his other hand over top of hers.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. They weren't holding eye contact anymore, just daring subtle peeks at one another from time to time. Rose had hoped the gesture would do something to soothe him since words always seemed to fail her in times like these. Losing someone was never easy, she knew that all too well.

With an audible exhale, the lawyer broke the moment but kept her hand where it was for reasons she didn't want to think about. "Can you think of anyone who might have done this?"

"Yes." The affirmation was snarled out so quickly and with so much venom that Rose's eyes immediately snapped to his face. Arthur had went from seeming somewhat peaceful to downright livid in a split second.

The attorney wondered if she should bring up anything about what Piper had told her yesterday. She hadn't wanted to show her hand, especially since she didn't really have any facts, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. "Do you think the CIT had something to do with this?"

Arthur sharply withdrew his hands from Rose's touch, eyeing her suspiciously, "Why would you say that? Are you involved with them?"

She openly scoffed at his accusatory tone, "Oh, for fuck's sake, Arthur! I know Li was working for them and there have been some whispers around town about them being involved in some sketchy activity as of late. So, no. I am not involved with them."

Arthur appeared to relax a bit at her admission but still seemed wary and stayed quiet.

Rose just rolled her eyes. She was done being patient with him. "If you don't trust me anymore, then by all means just say so and I will walk right out that door and you can find someone else to help you. Otherwise, you'd better fucking tell me what else you know if you want me to have any chance of getting you out of here."

"Stay," he grumbled lowly, realizing he was about to lose one of the only people on his side. "Look, it's been one hell of a day and those monsters at the CIT have had it out for us ever since I can remember. It's hard to trust people when they've been lurking in our shadow at every turn."

"If that's your version of an apology, it's shit," Rose commented dryly, but dropped it to turn her attention to the latter half of what he said. "What do you mean they're monsters? What have they done to make you so afraid of them?"

"I am _not_ afraid of them," Arthur corrected vehemently before launching into his side of the story. "I'm just sick of dealing with them. Maxson Enterprises and the CIT have been at odds for over a decade. When I was younger, I just thought it was some petty argument or a business deal gone wrong. Maybe that's how it'll all started, I don't know. What I do know is that the director of their R &D has been causing trouble for us for a long time. At first, it was simply because they were competition. The technology they've developed was in the same field as ours. That's why it was so easy for Madison to transition between companies."

"But then the competition turned into something more?"

Arthur nodded, leaning in towards Rose and dropping his voice. Luckily for her, she was riveted enough by what the man was saying that she didn't become overly distracted by the close proximity as she had in the past. "Recently we began getting some disturbing reports about their research. Normally, something like that wouldn't warrant a second look. But what we stumbled on couldn't be ignored. We tried getting the authorities to investigate but they came up empty-handed. When my father saw an opportunity to open a branch in Boston, he took it. The market was right for it, but he wanted to keep a closer eye on what the CIT was doing. He couldn't relocate his position here without raising suspicion, so I stepped up."

Rose furrowed her brows trying to process the information Arthur was laying out for her. He was telling her more than she had expected him to but she was still having a hard time figuring out why this had anything to do with Dr. Li's murder. "Exactly what kind of reports did you come across?"

"I can't say much, there's still a lot we don't know," Arthur hesitated, then met her concerned gaze and held it for a moment. That was apparently it was all that was needed for him to continue. He spoke quietly but with the kind of conviction that made it obvious he genuinely believed what he was saying. 

The young business man told Rose about how it started with a report that the CIT was using human test subjects on whatever it was they were experimenting on. Around the same time, there had been reports along the east coast of people disappearing, not very many people, but not just your typical drifters and transients. They were people with families, jobs, lives. All of these missing person cases had hit a dead end, making it seem like they had just vanished into thin air. When Arthur's father had brought this up to the authorities, they allegedly looked into it, but nothing came of the investigation. Since then, they had been following the CIT's work as closely as they could. 

At first, the CIT didn't seem to care much about what Maxson Enterprises knew. After all, the FBI didn't believe their accusations, so they shouldn't have anything to worry about. When the Boston division opened up, that's when everything had taken a turn for the worse. Arthur began telling the lawyer about how they started receiving anonymous letters, not direct threats, but they were clearly meant to intimidate although they were very cryptic. 

"They kept making a point of saying that they were watching us, and if we continued to cause problems, there would be consequences," he explained. 

"Did you ever talk to Dr. Li about any of this?" Rose wondered aloud, still not quite sure where the late scientist fit into the picture. 

The younger of the two shook his head, "Not outright. I didn't bring up any of our suspicions to her at all. Any information she gave me about the CIT was out of her own volition and it wasn't anything damning. All she really said was they were working on some kind of pharmaceutical. But Madison was a smart woman. When she asked to speak to me tonight, I think she wanted to tell me the truth of their secret project."

Rose chewed her lip in thought. All of the puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place and it was painting one hell of a scary picture. "So let me get this straight. You think the CIT had Dr. Li killed because she was going to expose whatever they are working on and they framed you because you're getting to close to the truth?"

Arthur nodded causing Rose to sigh and rub her temples. What he had told her was a lot to take in and as it stood, they had no real evidence to support such a grandiose claim. Her eyes flicked toward the man in custody and he met her gaze, silently pleading for her to trust him anyways. If she were being honest with herself, she had believed his innocence from the start. Now that belief was solid. 

_But one question remains..._

"Why do you trust me with this?" It was the one answer that Rose needed to know for herself. If he was so leery of the CIT's reach, why did he trust a woman he barely knew? Why not trust one of the lawyers who presumably knew at least something about this silent battle?

Arthur mulled over his choice of words before speaking. "Because you don't care who I am. You don't placate me because of my family, money, or power. I've been taught how to read people my whole life, and I'm rarely wrong. Everyone who works at Maxson Enterprises, expects me to be my father. _My father_ expects me to be just like him. He trusted me to put a stop to the CIT because I'm his son. But I am my own man and I have fought hard to earn my place in this company. I will do what he asks of me, but I will do it my way and on my terms. To do that, I need people I can count on, people who work for _me_. I need you, Rose."

Rose was stunned by his honest expression. He didn't appear to have any hidden meaning or innuendo behind his words. She absentmindedly wondered if this was the same man who came to see her in her office that morning. Still, how could she turn him down now? The man was clearly in deep trouble and as it stood, she seemed like one of the only people who was on his side, even if she hadn't actually verbalized that yet. She supposed it was time that she did just that. 

"Alright," she spoke softly, "I believe you, Arthur. I'll do what I can to help."

For the first time ever, he actually smiled at her. It wasn't a smirk, or a cocky grin. It was a true smile. "Thank you."

She returned the expression and they held that look for a second before Rose broke it off. The fluttering in her stomach that he had caused just now made her increasingly alarmed and she quickly made to exit the room before the sensation could get any worse. Closing the door to the interrogation room behind her, she turned to her detective friend who had been watching the interaction the entire time. 

"Did you hear all of that?" Nick nodded. "Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"Off the record?" He started, "I think so. Don't mention this to him or anyone else, but I've had my eye on the CIT director he's referring to. His name is Shaun Delgado. On paper, his record is spotless. Doesn't even have a parking ticket. But I had heard about the investigation into the CIT when it had happened, and since then I've had the same hunch as the Maxson's. Of course, between having no proof and working on actual cases, I haven't had much time or reason to look into it further. I think this might warrant some more digging."

Rose was so elated hearing Nick say he believed Arthur's story too that she could've kissed him. Instead, she settled for a hug which he returned with a chuckle. 

"Alright, kid. I'm going to see if forensics have anything for me. You work your magic."

Rose dug out her phone from her blazer pocket to do just that. Normally, since forensics wasn't on their side yet, getting a judge to allow a murder suspect to be released within the 36 hour period the police are allowed to keep them detained was near impossible. Especially at this time of night. Luckily for Rose, she knew a particular judge who she could ask for a favor. 

"Well, _hello_ , gorgeous. To what do I owe the pleasure of getting a call from you at this time of night?" A familiar, gravelly voice purred through the phone.

"Hello to you, too, John," Rose couldn't help the grin that spread across her face, "I'm calling cause I'm hoping you'll do me a favor."

"Wouldn't happen to be the _fun_ kind of favor, would it?"

She laughed softly at his shameless suggestion. She had known Judge John Hancock since law school. The two had hit it off instantly, their flirtatious banter was equally matched but never acted on. John was an attractive man, there was no doubt about that. But shortly after they had become friends, Rose had met Nate and any inclinations she had towards Hancock were brushed off. When Nate left her, she debated... Letting off some steam with the judge. The man was notorious for his policy of no-strings-attached relationships, which was exactly what Rose needed. But for some reason she could never work up the nerve to get involved with another man, even if it was just for meaningless sex. 

_Until Arthur..._

That train of thought brought Rose back to the issue at hand. "Hate to disappoint you, but it's a bit more... Official than that." 

She went into a brief overview of Maxson's case thus far, enough to hint at his innocence. For his part, John seemed to give her his full attention over the phone. 

"Well, darlin', I've never met this man but I've seen him on the news and he seems like an uptight asshole to me," John rasped. She always could count on him giving his honest opinion, though she hoped he would still pull through for her. "But if you believe he didn't do this, I'll sign off on it. Just be careful, okay?"

Rose breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, John. Really."

"Anything for you," he replied, his tone laced with his trademark charm.

They ended the call and she made her way back towards the interrogation room. Valentine had returned as well and they caught each other up on their progress. Apparently, the gun found in Madison Li's apartment was, indeed, the murder weapon and there was no sign Arthur had handled it. They had also found evidence to support that Li had called Arthur just before her time of death, but they traced his phone to receiving the call across town from where her apartment was. Between that and Hancock approving Arthur's release, things were quickly set in motion for the young man to be set free.

Both the lawyer and the detective entered the interrogation room. Nick had the keys to handcuffs around Arthur's wrists and made quick work of them, telling him he was free to go but to stay in town. "You're one lucky man to have her on your side, you know," Valentine told him, motioning to Rose.

"I know," was Arthur's reply with a hint of a smile, his eyes having not left the woman since she'd come back into the room.

The three of left the room, Nick walking ahead of them to take care of the rest of the processing. Arthur and Rose walked down the corridors together in silence towards the building's exit. Through the windows of the lobby, Rose could see the sun staring to rise, casting an orange hue in the night sky. 

"Do you need a ride home?" She wasn't sure why she was offering, but the words tumbled out before she could stop them. 

He shook his head, jerking his head towards a black suit-clad man with dark hair and sunglasses sitting in the waiting area seeming alert. He stood at seeing Arthur, his tall, large figure making it obvious that he was his bodyguard. 

"I've got it covered, thank you though. Thanks for everything, actually," he said with a genuine warmth that Rose couldn't deny. "Does this mean I get to, uh, contact you again?"

And just like that, his arrogant smirk was back. But for whatever reason, Rose found it more endearing than irritating. "Don't make me regret it, Maxson."

He grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief in a way that Rose didn't want to admit she kind of missed. He leaned a bit closer to her before whispering, "Between you and me, next time you should show it off more instead of hiding it. I think I could get used to that look on you."

Rose looked at him quizzically, but before she could ask him what he meant, she saw him looking pointedly at the red spot on her neck she'd forgotten all about until now. With a gasp, her hand flew up to adjust her collar, trying to cover his visible mark he left on her. She glared at him, but he just responded with amused laughter, walking towards the door.

"Bye, Rosie," he chimed, shooting her a wink before exiting the building with his bodyguard in tow, leaving the lawyer almost wishing she'd left him in that interrogation room to rot after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read this far! Kudos and comments are much appreciated writer's fuel.


End file.
